Rankin Inlet educator named one of Canada’s “outstanding principals”

Rebecca Anderson, the recipient of the Governor General award for academic excellence at Rankin Inlet's Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik for 2011-12, holds her medal and certificate next to principal Jesse Payne last August. (FILE PHOTO)

Jesse Payne, the principal of Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik in Rankin Inlet, will receive an outstanding principal award from the Learning Partnership organization at a Feb. 26 awards presentation and gala in Toronto.

“Behind every great school is a great principal who is not only an outstanding educator but an excellent manager and leader,” said Akela Peoples, president and chief executive officer of the Learning Partnership, a national charitable organization dedicated to strengthening the public education system, in a recent news release about the award.

At Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik, Payne and his senior team of teachers act as the school’s curriculum leaders to mentor new teachers and make sure that the curriculum is “being delivered as intended, ” a backgrounder said.

Payne’s team at the school have ongoing “tracking protocols” to identify and support students who could become academically at-risk, the backgrounder said.

And, in addition to regular report cards, there are monthly progress reports for students so that they and their parents can track their progress.

Every day, Payne greets his students, the Learning Partnership said.

As well, there are grade grouping assemblies, awards assemblies and other events to recognize student success.

Payne’s leadership means that at MUI, the school has “a vibrant community that comes together to support students’ learning,” the Learning Partnership said.

As a result of Payne’s efforts, Maani Ulujuk Iliniarvik is the heart of the community, and “Jesse and his team meet frequently with elders, community agencies, friendship centre, local businesses and even the theatre group to provide extended opportunities for students at MUI.”

In the outstanding principals program, principals are nominated by their peers, school staff and community members in every province and territory.

Nominations are reviewed and final winners selected on a representation-by-population basis by a National Selection Committee made up of a group of Canadian education, community and private sector leaders.

The winners — in 2013, 51 principals from across Canada — are “examples of excellence in public education,” Peoples said.
Between Feb. 24 and Feb. 28, Payne and the other award winners will participate in a leadership training program at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

There, they’ll be able to discuss management issues with other leaders from the educational and business sectors.

The 2013 Canada’s outstanding principals join 260 other principals who have received a similar honour over the past nine years, becoming members of the Learning Partnership’s “National Academy of Canada’s Outstanding Principals.”

The National Academy offers principals ongoing networking, mentoring and professional development opportunities so they can continually enhance their leadership skills.